by Lora Leigh
His gaze slid to his side as Rory moved in carefully then reached up and took the wrench.
“Told you once, the funny thing about this wrench,” Rory said softly, making sure no one heard but Noah. “My brother used to do the same thing.” He slapped the wrench back in Noah’s hand and moved away again.
Sabella was pissed. Rory was pissed. And that was just too damned bad, because Noah was home now, and he was set to reclaim everything he thought he had lost. Just as soon as he cleared the garbage out of his town, and away from his wife.
Sabella had had enough. She pulled her car into Kira’s driveway again that day and drew in a deep, hard breath. Sienna was still there, which was unusual. Sienna didn’t normally hang around with Kira after Sabella left. Sometimes, she wondered if Sienna even liked Kira.
“Belle. Come on in.” Kira’s attractive face was lit with a smile as she opened the door and waved her in.
She tugged at the hem of her T-shirt. She should have changed clothes. She tugged her braid over her shoulder. Maybe she should have done something with her hair.
“Sienna’s still here?” It was nearly three in the afternoon.
“She just showed up again perhaps an hour ago.” Kira smiled. “We pulled out a bottle of wine and decided to trash men for the day.”
Uh-oh. Obviously Sienna and Rick had had another fight after the other woman returned home.
She inhaled slowly and walked up to the porch where Kira stepped out and welcomed her into the house again.
Dressed in jeans and a gaily striped shirt, her dark hair piled carelessly on her head, Sienna looked like an overgrown teenager. In comparison, Kira Richards looked dark and mysterious. With her black hair and friendly gray eyes.
Dressed in silk capris and a camisole, Kira looked cool, sophisticated, and yet still managed to convey compassion.
“The planets are out of alignment,” Kira said softly. “Let me guess, your Noah was acting like a man too?”
“Tell me that Ian at least is pretending to have some common sense.” Sabella sighed as she collapsed into a chair across from Sienna and glanced up at Kira.
“Ian is a man, darlin’. What do you think?” Kira laughed.
The wine was on the table. Kira detoured to the kitchen and a few seconds later returned, another glass in hand, as Sabella glanced back up at her.
“Rick’s pissed because I took the baby to his sister’s again this morning.” Sienna sighed. “Kent loves his aunt.”
And Sienna loved her social life. Sabella agreed with Rick, Sienna needed more time with Kent, but the aunt was possessive as well. Sabella could only imagine how difficult the situation was.
“Sabella, I hate to tell you this, but the beard burn is worse on your chin. You need to have a talk with that mechanic of yours,” Kira said, laughing.
“Talking doesn’t work,” Sabella muttered.
“I think she likes it,” Sienna accused with a laugh. “She hasn’t been gone more than three or four hours and already she’s back after he got another taste of her. She’s hiding from him.”
Sabella bit her lip and looked back at Sienna.
“I heard Rick had to respond to a call of harassment because of him?” Kira said then. “Was he harassing you?” She leaned forward and stared back at Sabella curiously. “I talked to Ian after you left. He seems to think he’s a very odd man. Maybe you should fire him.”
Sabella looked from Kira to Sienna with a frown.
“He’s not odd,” she finally muttered as Kira sat down slowly, filled Sabella’s wine glass, and pushed it to her with a faintly apologetic look.
Kira stared at the two women. As Ian’s wife, and an operative herself, she knew the truth. She would have been amused if she didn’t feel so damned sorry for the widow who wasn’t a widow. She didn’t like the fact that Nathan Malone hadn’t come clean with his wife. She sure as hell didn’t like the fact that the girl looked so bewildered and lost. And the friendship they had developed over the years had only increased Kira’s worry. Sabella had never let go of her husband, and now he was back again, tormenting her in another way.
“Ian’s worried about you after this morning,” she told Sabella, giving her a quiet, almost gentle smile. “He loved Nathan like a brother.” And he still did. Though Kira would have preferred to kick the other man’s ass.
“I know he did.” Sabella sighed then took a healthy drink of the wine and Kira watched as her jaw clenched in anger.
Kira wasn’t having any part of being pushed out of this particular conversation.
Sabella had been faithful to her dead husband for over six years. The memory of the love she felt for him had tormented her. And for half that time, Nathan could have eased her pain.
Sabella licked her lips. She pressed her knees together and seemed to be trying to hold in emotions that were only festering inside her.
“He’s making me crazy,” she muttered. “He just takes over everything, as though it’s his right.”
“But you still want him.”
Silence descended.
“She doesn’t need him,” Sienna finally stated. “He’s not the staying kind and she knows it.”
“That’s not what it is. I know the expression of a woman steeped in guilt and fear because she’s finally met a man threatening her husband’s place in her heart,” Kira stated gently. “This has nothing to do with whether or not he’s the staying kind. It has to do with Sabella letting Nathan go.”
Kira was nothing if not forward. Sabella had learned herself, long ago, that the worst thing a woman can do is hide from herself.
“Yeah, well, that doesn’t mean I have to do anything about it.” Sabella frowned.
Kira leaned back in her chair and watched Sabella for long, sober moments. “No, it doesn’t.” She shook her head. “Ian loved Nathan like a brother.” She stared back at Sabella then. “When they told him Nathan was dead, he took it very hard, he told me. We’ve become good friends, Sabella. I’ve watched you the last few years. You laugh, you go out with friends, sometimes you date. But you haven’t had a lover since Nathan died. Have you?”
“I’ve been fine.” Sabella shook her head. “I’d be better if men would stop getting in my way and acting as though I need someone to tell me what to do.”
“Get a little drunk,” Kira advised her, her brow wrinkling at the pain she could see in Sabella’s eyes. “Get pissed off. Tell us what an asshole Nathan was because he left you.”
“Kira!” Sienna snapped, anger brightening her green eyes then. “That’s enough.”
“And each time she’s stepped away from Nathan’s memory you’ve reminded her of the man she lost, rather than the fact that there are other men out there, haven’t you, Sienna?” Kira said softly. “I’ve known the two of you for years now, and I’ve seen it. I’m just a neutral bystander with too much gossip under my belt and married to the man who was the asshole’s best friend.”
“Nathan wasn’t an asshole,” Sabella snapped.
“He was a SEAL, sweetheart. I’m married to one. They’re so dominant, fierce, and certain of their own abilities and opinions that they can’t help themselves,” she stated, amused. “So in the kindest vein, yes, that’s exactly what Nathan was. But he’s gone. He doesn’t exist any longer, but here you are, years later, from all accounts incredibly attracted to another man and fighting that attraction because of your guilt about your husband’s memory.”
“I don’t have to just jump into bed with every man I meet,” Sabella snapped.
“But neither were you buried when they told you your husband was dead.”
Sabella stared back at her, seeing in the other woman’s eyes sympathy, without the history she had with Sienna. Without the memories of Nathan she and her friend shared.
And she was right. Sabella didn’t have to like it, but she did have to acknowledge it.
“Duncan says he’s like Nathan,” she whispered. “And maybe in ways, he’s right. He’s taking over,” she sai
d harshly. “He’s walked into my life and he’s just taking over.”
Kira leaned forward a bit more. “And he’s darker and more dangerous than your husband was, despite Nathan having been a SEAL. Ian says this man is harsher, more commanding. And you’re not the proper little SEAL wife any longer, are you?”
“What do you mean by that?” Sabella frowned.
“He went off to war and refused to let you cry when he left. Refused to let you worry while he was gone. And because you didn’t want him to worry, you held it all in. When he was home, it was whatever Nathan wanted; you cherished him. But those days are gone now, aren’t they, Sabella? Because Nathan’s gone. He went away, and you found out all kinds of interesting things about yourself, didn’t you? You found your independence and, despite your grief, you grew up. And now, this man who would take over as Nathan once did doesn’t have a chance of pushing past that independence. Does he?”
“I found out being without Nathan was hell,” she raged. “I want him back. I don’t want that.” She jumped to her feet and flung her hand at the door, indicating the world outside. “I want my husband.”
And she didn’t. Nathan was gone and she knew it, but she had no other excuse for the emotions tearing through her, the rage building inside her. Noah Blake was twisting her world around. He wasn’t safe. He wasn’t easy to handle and he wanted more than she was comfortable giving any man now. He wanted all of her. And her own independence had held parts of herself back from her husband. The parts that tormented her. The parts that would have given him her entire soul. The sexuality she had never been comfortable with, the need to be wild, to be nasty, to eat him up and make him take her hard, fast, rough, and desperate.
“And your husband is gone. And you’ve very nearly had sex with another man. And you liked it.” Kira came slowly to her feet.
She had been waiting for this for weeks. She had placed herself in Sienna’s and Sabella’s paths years before, made friends with Sabella, knowing this chance would come. Nathan Malone had made a mistake in hiding from his wife, and as Kira had known all along, his wife was the one paying the highest cost.
“Damn, Kira,” Sienna muttered, poured more wine and drank it. “That’s harsh.”
Sabella turned back to her other friend, looking at her as though for reinforcement and watched as Sienna stared back at her with compassion, although she clearly agreed with Kira.
“This is none of your business.” Sabella groaned. “Why do people suddenly think they can butt their noses in my business?”
“Because we got tired of watching you try to die with Nathan,” Sienna retorted painfully. “Sit down, Sabella. Let’s just get drunk like we used to. We can rip into Noah and Rick, talk about how arrogant they are, and you can go home and live again,” she whispered tearfully. “I don’t care if Noah is a Martian alien hiding horns. I haven’t seen you like this in too long. Almost alive. And I could kiss his cheek for making your eyes sparkle like that.”
Sabella collapsed on the couch and stared back at the other two in bemusement. “You don’t understand. Nathan . . .” She grimaced. “He still holds a part of me. I dream of him. And he’s still so much a part of me.”
Kira resumed her seat and poured Sabella more wine. “Don’t let him go if you can’t, Sabella. But don’t feel guilty because you’re a woman. Because you need to be touched or you need to be held. Take what Noah Blake has to offer.” She leaned back in her seat as both Sienna and Sabella drained their glasses and refilled them.
“He’s taking it all over,” Sabella snapped. “The garage. Me. As though he thinks everything Nathan had should be his.”
“He could just be dominating.” Kira waved the truth of Sabella’s statement away. “Hell, ride him for a while, get him out of your system, then send him on his way. Things are never so complicated as they are in the middle of a sexual crisis. Get the sex out of the way, and the problems tend to solve themselves.”
Sabella stared back at Kira.
Sienna didn’t speak. She sipped her wine and watched Sabella instead.
“Are we going to get drunk? If I have to have this conversation, then I at least want an excuse for being blunt, if you don’t mind? Otherwise, Rick is going to be pissed I stuck my nose in this. And you know, I tend to do without sex myself when he’s pissed.”
Sabella emptied her glass and held it out for more. Kira watched them both in amusement.
They drank that glass and started on another when Sabella suddenly sighed heavily.
“I gave him a blow job.”
Kira jumped as Sienna’s wine spurted across the table. The sheriff’s wife choked, covered her mouth, and turned to Sabella.
“You did what?”
Sabella finished her wine, amused that her friend was so shocked. “I told you what I did.”
“Was it good?” Kira drawled.
Oh, Kira could not wait until Ian came home. This was going to be so much fun. Better yet, she couldn’t wait until she saw Noah again.
“It was so good.” Sabella was tipsy. She hadn’t been tipsy in years. “So good. More excellent than I imagined it could be.”
“And did he at least return the favor?” Sienna sighed. “I’m going to get in so much trouble here. You two know this. Right? Rick will just worry.”
“You’re going to tell him I gave Noah a blow job?” Sabella whispered. Horrified. “You wouldn’t?”
“I’ll be drunk,” Sienna moaned. “And we have a bet.”
“A bet?” Sabella was outraged. “What kind of bet?”
“He bet me you would throw him out.” Sienna glared at her. “I bet him you would pull his ears off.”
Sabella blinked uncertainly. “Why would I do that?”
Sienna rolled her eyes. “You know, sweetie. Grab his ears and pull when you come.” She wagged her brows. “ ’Cause it’s good.”
Sabella turned to Kira as she snorted, nearly choking on her wine.
“We know better than to let her get drunk,” Sabella reminded Kira. “She gets naughty. Remember?”
“Yeah, like that night Nathan had to come get you from the house.” Sienna laughed. “Do you remember, Sabella? I told him we were going to buy you an electric blanket and a vibrator?”
Sabella had to laugh. “I don’t know if he was fascinated or outraged.”
“He was definitely thinking about the vibrator,” Sienna said, laughing even more.
Sabella smiled. It was a good memory. He had carried her out of Sienna’s house and taken her home. And he had loved her.
“I miss him,” she said softly, finishing another glass of wine.
“But he’s gone.” Sienna said, her voice quiet.
“Yeah,” Sabella breathed out, watching as Sienna refilled her glass as well. “He’s gone.”
And now Noah was invading her life.
“What do I do now?” She looked at the two women.
“I’m all for you pulling his ears off,” Sienna said.
“Nathan left you, Sabella,” Kira told her gently. “Do you think he would berate you?”
Sabella was quiet for long moments before she whispered, “I promised him forever.”
“Forever with him. Is he here now?” Kira pointed out gently. “You don’t have to give Noah forever, Bella. Give him a night. Get over the sex and take your life back.”
“I’m not cheating,” Sabella said, her gaze meeting Kira’s. Something inside her loosened. Something fell into place, but she was just too damned tipsy to realize what it was. “Am I?”
“Oh dear, trust me.” Kira smiled back at her. “The last thing you’re doing is cheating. You can take that one to the bank.”
Glasses clinked, refilled, and the three women sat back and proceeded to get outrageously tipsy. Well, Sabella thought several hours later as Ian walked in and stared at them in shock, maybe they were a little bit drunk.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
“Oh hell!” Rory groaned as he hung the phone up then covered his face wit
h his hands.
Noah turned from where he was watching the driveway through the windows of the office and glanced at his brother with a frown.
“What?”
Rory had that look. One of trepidation. Warning. Male amusement.
“Belle’s drunk.”
Noah froze. There it went. His balls drew up in fear. Pure, unadulterated male fear. Because Sabella did not pull her punches when she was drunk.
“Tell me she’s not at Sienna Grayson’s?”
“That was Ian Richards. She’s at his house.” Rory sighed. “The sheriff is there to pick up Sienna. He’s threatening to lock Belle, his wife, and Ian Richards’s wife up for the night if I don’t come get her. Evidently, they’re trash-talking men in general and having a hell of a lot of fun doing it. I think I heard something about a sexual crisis in the background, and Ian is cracking the hell up with laughter.”
Yeah, that was fear pinching his balls.
“Call him back,” Noah breathed out roughly as he grabbed his jacket from the wall peg and grabbed the keys to Rory’s truck from his desk. “Tell him we’re coming after her.”
The garage was already closed and everything locked up for the night. They had just been waiting for Sabella to return.
“Should I wish you luck or order roses for your new gravesite?”
“Just call Ian and tell him we’re coming,” he growled and headed out the door. “I’ll pull the truck around and pick you up.”
He should have known when he saw her drive off. Hell, he had known. A part of him was well aware that his wife was pissed off and would head to Sienna’s. He hadn’t expected Kira. He knew they’d connected as friends, but not to this extent. There would be hell to pay now, and not just from Sabella, but Kira as well.
He and Rory arrived at the house, pulling in behind Kira’s small sports car, and Noah shook his head. He knew Kira. She was a troublemaker. A former Homeland Security agent with too damned much time on her hands now. She had driven Ian insane until he married her in what Nathan swore was an attempt at some peace.
The door opened as he neared it, and Rick Grayson stared at him with narrow-eyed displeasure from across the room as Ian stepped back and allowed Noah to enter the house. Amusement glittered in his commander’s eyes and tugged at his lips. Damn. Noah didn’t need this.
